The Story of Amara Part 2
Real Life Adventures of Dottie Laster: Freedom Is Not Just Another Word
I met Amara when she was 26 years old. She had never been free. I was connected to her by another trafficked victim who knew her from jail. This often happens. In my speeches and seminars, I say, there are likely more victims in jail than traffickers. If you want to find some, look there.
Amara was put in jail so often that it was like a second home for her. Nevertheless, she felt safe there. And yes, she knew most of the guards, many were her age.
This time around, Amara was facing a life sentence.
A house had been raided by police and everyone in the house declared that all the drugs belonged to Amara. Each of them took plea deals which left Amara with the entire sentence. This same person who could not even have the personal freedom to stop herself from being sold for sex, was suddenly the biggest drug dealer in the county. The most difficult part of my helping Amara was getting her public defender attorney to believe that Amara had a legal defense. This is how incongruous the legal system can be when it comes to those being trafficked.
After looking over some of the evidence, I knew if I could just get her to return my call, I knew I could get Amara free, finally free.
Several days went by without a call. I was sad that even though I knew I could help Amara, I could go no further without her reaching out to me. But then, one day long after I thought hope was lost, her attorney called me. I told her my expertise and my strategy. She was interested. She asked if I could have my work done in 2 weeks before the next hearing. I said no problem.
I made plans to visit Amara. She was four hours away from where I live. I got to the prison where she was being kept. I must admit prisons and jails give me creepy crawlies. No matter how many times I visit a jail, I am startled every time that heavy door closes behind me. The shutting of the door feels so final.
I stayed 4 hours with Amara. While there I also gave her a quick trauma release treatment. This is a procedure that separates a very traumatic experience from the fight, flight or flee response on the unconscious. It allows a memory to be filed in the mind rather than being scattered and causing a fear response when unneeded. It is one of my superpowers.
Mari gave me the biggest compliment, “That is so relaxing!”
Before I visited her, I had access to police reports, and background information. I had all the evidence against her, and I interviewed 5 people who knew her. This was difficult as some were criminals, including her mother. Nevertheless, they were all respectful and wanted to help Mari.
I used all this information to create the roadmap I would use to interview her. I have a way about me, of obtaining information I shouldn’t know and then asking questions that allow me to gauge whether the person I am speaking with is being truthful.
After all the police reports and jailer notes I thought I would be meeting a very harsh and hardened person. I expected her to look older than her age and be somewhat unpleasant.
Amara was exactly the opposite. She was this beautiful soul and this beautiful person. I bet the bad guy made lots of money on her. He was selling her innocence and beauty, even her youthfulness to people void of any of those traits.
She looked like a homecoming queen, you know, the girl next door. She reminded me of my beautiful, sweet daughter. I KNEW in the moment I introduced myself that I would get her free or spend the rest of my life trying!
After the four-hour session, I sat in my car across from the jail and cried, both in sadness and in hope.
I stopped around the corner of the small-town county seat and ate a late lunch at a café. It was full of 1800’s nostalgia. I felt relief coming and was switching into an action state of mind. I saw a nursery across the street. I noticed through the window an incredibly special crape myrtle tree. I went over and bought that tree. I put it in my SUV and said if you grow, she will be free.
I went home and created my strategy.
I had just a few days to carry it out. I wanted my report to reach the District Attorney before the deadline. My goal was to take hundreds of pages of information, thirty pages of handwritten notes, photos and police reports and put them into five pages. Those five pages had only one goal- Make the prosecutor see the real person not the lies that had made it to the police reports!
Months later, I received a call from the District Attorney, asking about resources for victims. I looked out my home office window, the crepe myrtle was blooming. She was free!!! A 35-year sentence dissolved. THIS is why I do what I do! This was the right outcome; this was the justice system making a correction.
Expert witness testimony is particularly important for all parties to make informed decisions. I counted on good people to make the right choice with the information I was able to provide. It had worked many times. I am grateful it worked this time.
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